Oct. 28, 2006

Stats

Erie, Pa. - Connecticut sophomore forward Chris Myhro's goal, 68 seconds into overtime, gave the Huskies a 5-4 win over Mercyhurst Saturday night. The Lakers, 6-2 winners in the series' opener Friday, dropped to 2-4 overall and to 2-2 in Atlantic Hockey. The Huskies, who averted their worst start in program history, picked up their first win of the year and stand at 1-5 and 1-3 respectively.

The wide-open first period featured a combined 32 shots, 18 by UConn, but only one goal, the first of three on the night for Mercyhurst junior forward Ben Cottreau. Cottreau connected against Connecticut sophomore netminder Jon Anderson, who made his first start of the season. Anderson earned the nod after silencing the Lakers for the final 22 minutes Friday in a relief role. Cottreau had help from linemates Scott Champagne and Kyle Gourgon.

The Huskies tied the game early in the second when senior winger Matt Scherer beat Mercyhurst second-year goalie Tyler Small at 1:13. UConn then took its first lead of the series when Scherer collected his second of the night just six minutes later. UConn extended its lead to 3-1 when junior winger Charles Solberg connected at 12:57. But Cottreau tallied his seventh of the year and second of the night with just 70 seconds left in the frame to trim the lead to 3-2 after forty minutes. Linemates Champagne and Gourgon helped again. The Huskies outshot the Lakers 17-12 in the middle frame.

Mercyhurst continued the momentum early in the third when sophomore forward Brett Robinson scored at the 50-second mark. The Alton, Ontario, native's first of the year was assisted by sophomores Matt Pierce and Mike Floyd. The Huskies snapped the tie eight minutes later when freshman Chris Ochoa lit the lamp. But Cottreau and the Lakers capitalized on a late UConn penalty to tie the game at 4-4. Following a Mercyhurst timeout at 17:52, the exact time the infraction was assessed, the Toronto, Ontario, native used just 17 seconds to knot the contest for the last time. It was Cottreau's second career hat trick and second in as many weekends. Connecticut had a slight 6-4 advantage in shots in a defensive-minded third period.

After an early rush by the Lakers, but no shots on net, in the extra stanza, the Huskies brought the play into the Lakers zone and Myhro ended the affair on the Huskies' third shot in the OT.

Connecticut oitshot Mercyhurst 41-30 overall. The game featured only five minor penalties, three to the Lakers.

Mercyhurst will return to the highway next Friday and Saturday when it visits Sacred Heart for a pair of conference games.